Cape Town Downwind Race and the Fenn Cape Point Challenge – from Scarborough to Fish Hoek in Dec 2013

It’s almost time for the 2 penultimate races in the Cape Town Summer Surfski Series, powered by Vodacom, to take place – the Cape Town Downwind Race and the Fenn Cape Point Challenge. South Africa is one of the leading countries in the world in the sport of surfski, many international paddlers have already made their way to Cape Town in preparation for these two races, and are currently competing in the remaining Summer Series races as a build-up to these two final events.

The next race in the series takes place this Sunday (24 November 2013) at the Naturals Camps Bay Challenge, starting at 9am. For more info you can visit www.capetownsurfski.com

The 2013 Cape Town Downwind Race will be held on either the 15th or 16th December (window period will apply). It is a 18km race highlighting the beauty of the Cape Point and False Bay coastline, including one of the World’s most famous downwind paddling runs – the famous Millers Run.

The Sunday will be the preferred day for the Cape Town Downwind race, however if the conditions are deemed not great for a downwind race or ‘out of control’ the call will be made on the Thursday eveningpreceding the race to move it to a suitable time on the Monday.

The Cape Point Challenge, better known as the most gruelling one-day-surfski race of the year, always lives up to its reputation. The 50km race is one of the oldest races in the world, originally started to “fill in” the years between the biennial PE to EL Challenge, becoming a classic in its own right.

The race nurtures a close sense of camaraderie between the competitors because of the accomplishment, whether successful or attempted, of getting from Scarborough to Fish Hoek. Paddle along this beautiful section of coastline starting from Scarbrough and into the waters of the Cape Point Nature Reserve, past Olifantsbos, Platboom, The Cape of Good Hope and the dreaded Southwestern Reefs around Cape Point, the South Western most point of the African Continent. Where rugged rocks and sheer cliffs tower more than 200 metres above the sea, cutting deep into the ocean, providing a spectacular backdrop, and into the quiet waters of False Bay, past the old stop Buffles Bay on to Millers Point, with any luck surf the runs home to Fish Hoek on the famous Millers Runs course.